Ramachandra Rao Appointed Acting Chief Justice

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, today appointed acting Chief Justices for the High Courts of four states of the country including Telangana, Gujarat, Sikkim, and Karnataka.

Using the powers conferred on him Article 223 of the Constitution, Kovind has appointed the four new chief justices who will take over the posts after the incumbent Chief Justices take charge as judges at the Supreme Court. The Union Law Ministry has issued a gazette containing the relevant orders.

In Telangana, the senior most high court judge, Justice Ramchandra Rao, was appointed as the acting Chief Justice of the state.
According to reports, Rao, who is the son of retired SC Judge and former Law Commission chairman Justice M Jagannath Rao, will take charge as soon as incumbent Chief Justice Hima Kohli moves to Delhi.

In Karnataka too, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, senior-most judge at the state's HC, will take over as acting CJ as soon as Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka vacates the office, and in Sikkim, Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai will replace Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari.

At the Gujarat High Court, Justice Vineet Kothari will serve as acting CJ after Justice Vikram Nath moves to Delhi. However, once Justice Kothari retires on September 2, Justice Rashmin Manharbhai Chhaya will replace him.

All the appointments were reportedly made on the basis of recommendations by a collegium of senior judges and advocates.